Unpaid meals still an issue for schools

A year after school officials reported the district’s unpaid lunch deficit had increased to $70,000, the situation has not gotten much better, according to the schools’ food services director.

Brendan Ryan said that tab has actually swelled even further by a few thousands dollars. But he said there’s not much he can do about it, echoing the frustration of other Framingham school officials on the problem.

"You’re between a rock and hard place," he said. "It’s an ultra sensitive issue."

The food services department has not, for example, begun giving out reduced meals to students with large unpaid tabs this year, he said – something school officials had threatened to do.

"The minute you modify the meals, people are up in arms," Ryan said, adding he also doesn’t want to deprive students of the same food their peers receive.

But Ryan also acknowledged the potential grumbling among other parents if students continue to face no repercussions for repeatedly failing to pay for lunches.

A problem in the district for years, primarily at the elementary school level, the unpaid meals deficit came up again last July when school officials revealed the tab had shot up $20,000 between 2012 and 2013. At the time, they said were considering serving limited meals to students of families who were the worst offenders.

The district has tried out other approaches as well in the past, from sending a constable to collect families’ owed payments four years ago to offering to needy students food scholarships paid for by Framingham restaurant La Cantina.

The schools also were able to sign up some students for the federally funded free and reduced lunch program by utilizing a state virtual gateway program that automatically identifies kids eligible for the benefit.

Ryan’s idea for next year is to look into selling ad space on the high school cafeteria’s new monitors to local colleges and universities, the proceeds from which could be used to pay down the meals deficit.

"I’m just trying to think outside the box," he said.

But in general, Ryan said the food services department simply deals with the reality that some kids will continue to come to school with no money no matter what it does.

"It’s just the nature of the beast," he said. "The main thing I work on is that kids get fed. I didn’t come here to be a collection agency."

Scott O’Connell can be reached at 508-626-4449 or soconnell@wickedlocal.com.